Letters

I would like to say that one of my favorite pastimes while I have my morning coffee is to read the letters to the editor. I especially enjoy reading letters that have different viewpoints from my own ... they make me think. My politics are very much centrist. I do lean a little liberal but am willing to accept good solutions to problems no matter from where they come.

It is really rich to read about City Council President Stuckart complaining about government overreach by the Clean Air Agency regarding asbestos control on remodeled buildings. From attempting to tax railcars passing through Spokane, enabling homeless blight, sanctuary for illegals, mandatory helmet laws, etc., he has been nothing but government overreach and control of citizen's personal responsibility.

There is again talk about separating Eastern Washington from Western Washington, forming a new state of Liberty. (I prefer Columbia, but anything is better than what we have now.) No matter how the east votes, the West Side decides how things will go because of population. My vote does not count - nor does yours!

I was born at home to an 18-year-old woman in Chanute, Kansas, on July 13, 1943. I was born with a severe harelip, and cleft palate. My mother was told by the doctor that I was the ugliest baby, and it would have been better had I been born dead. My mother ordered the doctor out of the house, and told her mother to never let him in the house again.

You are in a car accident. You or a family member has a life-threatening arterial bleed. The victim has less than 60 seconds to live before they bleed out. An untrained Good Samaritan runs up to your car and offers to apply direct pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. Do you accept, or do you say you'd rather wait for the highly trained paramedic who is 5-10 minutes away?

It has become abundantly clear that Democrats are asking questions about possible criminal behavior of Donald Trump and his entire administration, along with numerous close advisers, that have never been asked in the two years that Republicans controlled both houses of Congress. Yet it has been hard to avoid the strong indications of illegal activities that have surrounded this president both before and after his election.

I very much appreciated Shawn Vestal's article about the increase of administrators at WSU from 208 to 1,999 over a twenty year period ("WSU's administrative bloat," March 10, 2019). EWU has had a similar increase. In the 1970s, early in my teaching career, administrative costs were ten percent of the personnel budget, and they were more than fifty percent when I retired in 2008. I believe a like expansion has happened at all other universities.

Our Constitution guarantees each American the right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." The first of these, life, is being sold to corporations whose mission is to profit, and is driven by greed and apathy.

For those who like to get excited about gun rights, I have a perspective on the Second Amendment which may be worth considering: First, I believe it is important to be aware of the historical circumstances during the time when the Constitution was being written. Second, it is important to recognize the fact that the courts, including the Supreme Court, have interpreted the meaning of the document at various times during our history. These interpretations have sometimes been revised or reinterpreted.

Last evening while watching the PBS news, a Washington state representative, Pramila Jayapal, from the 7th District was being interviewed about the "Medicare for All " House Resolution 1384, which is to be presented in Congress. I felt so proud and inspired that a representative from Washington state was being a strong advocate for a comprehensive health system for all Americans. My cousin in Minot, North Dakota, had also seen the interview on PBS and was equally impressed. We both felt the bill should be supported.

I normally wouldn't feel good about the state being sued for millions of dollars by a lawyer who advertises seven-figure verdicts ("State accused of neglect in abuse of three children in Spokane Valley," March 6), but I hope he wins this on behalf of the three children who are victims of an abuser and Child Protective Services' extreme irresponsibility in not dealing with the situation if the allegations are true.

In Congress yesterday, Democrats defeated a motion by Republicans that would not allow illegals the right to vote. It was defeated 228-197. Compare that to how Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and her testimony was treated by the Democrats. Not only is there a huge increase in the amount of apprehensions (76,000 in February, which if it continues, 1 million by year's end), illegal drugs, etc., the total denial of reality continues.

The next time you hear a Trump Republican railing against "fake news" and the "liberal media," remind them of this inconvenient little fact, and by fact I mean House Republicans read it into the Congressional Record:

I understand the concept behind the so-called "one use bags," but it also has me confused. Once I've brought my groceries home, I keep the bags for household trash and in the warmer weather, I also use them for yard waste. It seems to me that once they're gone from stores, I'll have to buy plastic garbage bags. This makes no sense to me. I'm thinking plastic is plastic.

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters of no more than 200 words on topics of public interest. Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. We accept no more than one letter a month from the same writer. Please remember to include your daytime phone number and street address. The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.